Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal. Monday, August 9, 2021 — The Principal (ad interim) of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus is pleased to announce the establishment of The Student Virtual Concierge Services Unit (SVCSU) which began operations at the start of the 2021/2022 Academic Year. The SVCSU is located in the Office of the Principal and operates under the umbrellas of quality assurance, student wellbeing and care, which speak to ensuring a quality experience to our students, amid a culture of inclusion and support.
The SVCSU was conceptualised as a central student care oversight unit equipped with the agility to determine the most direct and strategic engagements with fellow departments/units, to enable the most rapid and effective response especially to cases requiring more complicated individual student support. Its personalised and dedicated student-centred care remit is expected to make it pivotal to the Open Campus’ mission of proactive, personable student experiential engagement and support from onboarding to graduation; leading to satisfied and loyal alumni who are critical to our continued growth and development.
The SVCSU will primarily perform troubleshooting and response coordination functions. Unit staff will work closely with all other key Departments and Units which operate in the service of our students; as well as with the Open Campus Cultural Stewards and Alumni Office to maintain a network of proactive and engaged, quality student support.
The SVCSU falls under the immediate supervision of Dr. Veronica Simon as Head, Student Experience. Dr. Simon, who has served the Open Campus for 14 years, initially as Head of the Open Campus Saint Lucia and most recently as Deputy Director (Ag.) of the Open Campus Country Sites, has been reassigned to the Office of the Principal to assume this new portfolio effective August 1, 2021. We look forward to the customary support and cooperation of all staff as we renew our efforts to fulfill the promise to our students, which is inherent in our Vision, Mission and Core Values.
